Accommodation

It isn’t difficult to find accommodation in Nairobi, but it can be very expensive. The main question is which area fits your needs. The Central Business District is useful for accessing shops and some offices on foot (though many businesses, embassies and other offices are not located here), while if you base yourself further afield, you’re likely to need transport or have to rely on the nearest mall. Travellers congregate at a number of different spots around the city and many visitors never set foot in the downtown CBD. If you’re arriving in town in the small hours or early in the day, it’s worth knowing that most places won’t be able to offer you a room before 10am. Bear in mind, too, that a/c is not considered essential in Nairobi’s climate and you’ll only find it at top-end addresses, which also uniformly offer free room safes.

All the top-of-the-range places and most backpacker haunts have guarded or enclosed parking – only cheap, city-centre lodgings are a problem in this respect. Naturally, leave nothing of value in the vehicle, or attached to it – such as spare wheels, jerricans or roof boxes. Wi-fi is increasingly widespread in Nairobi, and all but the cheapest hotels should have it.